Coming to prominence in the 1920s as an inventive trumpet and cornet player, Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo performance. With his instantly-recognizable gravelly voice, Armstrong was also an influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes. He was also skilled at scat singing (vocalizing using sounds and syllables instead of actual lyrics).
Renowned for his charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet-playing, Armstrong's influence extends well beyond jazz music, and by the end of his career in the 1960s, he was widely regarded as a profound influence on popular music in general. Armstrong was one of the first truly popular African-American entertainers to "cross over", whose skin-color was secondary to his music in an America that was severely racially divided. He rarely publicly politicized his race, often to the dismay of fellow African-Americans, but took a well-publicized stand for desegregation during the Little Rock Crisis. His artistry and personality allowed him socially acceptable access to the upper echelons of American society that were highly restricted for a black man.
Armstrong was born and brought up in New Orleans, a culturally diverse town with a unique musical mix of creole, ragtime, marching bands, and blues. Although from an early age he was able to play music professionally, he didn't travel far from New Orleans until 1922, when he went to Chicago to join his mentor, King Oliver. Oliver's band played primitive jazz, a hotter style of ragtime, with looser rhythms and more improvisation, and Armstrong's role was mostly backing. Slow to promote himself, he was eventually persuaded by his wife Lil Hardin to leave Oliver, and In 1924 he went to New York to join the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. At the time, there were a few other artists using the rhythmic innovations of the New Orleans style, but none did it with the energy and brilliance of Armstrong, and he quickly became a sensation among New York musicians. Back in Chicago in 1925, he made his first recordings with his own group, Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, and these became not only popular hits but also models for the first generation of jazz musicians, trumpeters or otherwise.
Other hits followed through the twenties and thirties, as well as troubles: crooked managers, lip injuries, mob entanglements, failed big-band ventures. As jazz styles changed, though, musical purists never lost any respect for him -- although they were sometimes irritated by his hammy onstage persona. Around the late forties, with the help of a good manager, Armstrong's business affairs finally stablilized, and he began to be seen as an elder statesman of American popular entertainment, appearing in Hollywood films, touring Asia and Europe, and dislodging The Beatles from the number-one position with Hello Dolly". Today many people may know him as a singer (a good one), but as Miles Davis said: “You can’t play nothing on modern trumpet that doesn’t come from him."
The 62-year-old Armstrong became the oldest act to top the US charts when "Hello Dolly" reached #1 in 1964. Four years later Satchmo also became the oldest artist to record a UK #1, when "What a Wonderful World" hit the top spot.
I Can
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby
That's the only thing I've plenty of
Baby
Dream awhile, scheme awhile, baby
We're sure to find, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
Happiness and I guess
All those things you, have ba-ba-ba-be-boo
Gee, I'd like to see you looking swell, ba-baby
Ba-ba-ba-be-boo
Diamond bracelets
Woolworth does not sell, baby
My little ba-ba-bay-ba-doe
Till that lucky day
Lucky day, you know darned well
Ba-be-bay, ba-ba-ba
I can't give you anything but love
Louis Armstrong's song "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" is a classic love song that emphasizes the value of love over material possessions. The song's main theme is about a man who doesn't have much to offer in terms of material possessions but is committed to offering his love to the woman he adores. He acknowledges that he may not be able to offer her wealth or lavish gifts, but he is confident that their love will bring them happiness.
The opening lines of the song, "I can't give you anything but love, baby, that's the only thing I've plenty of, baby" set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is clear about his intentions and knows that he has something special to offer. He encourages his lover to dream and scheme with him and promises to deliver happiness, stating "we're sure to find happiness and I guess, all those things you have." The singer believes that their love is enough for them to have a happy and fulfilling life together.
In the second verse, the singer expresses his admiration for the woman and says, "Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby, diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby." He acknowledges that he wants to see her looking her best and acknowledges her worth, despite not being able to provide expensive gifts. The song concludes with the singer reaffirming his commitment to her, "I can't give you anything but love, till that lucky day, you know darned well, baby, I can't give you anything but love."
Overall, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" is a beautiful and timeless song that celebrates the power of love over money and material possessions. The songwriters, Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh, created a simple yet powerful message that resonates with audiences today as it did when it was first written in 1928.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't give you anything but love
I am not able to give you anything except my affection
Baby
My dear or my love
That's the only thing I've plenty of
Among all the material possessions, love is the only thing that I possess in abundance
Dream awhile, scheme awhile, baby
Let's dream and make plans together to achieve our goals
We're sure to find, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
I am confident that we will eventually find
Happiness and I guess
Happiness and other things
All those things you, have ba-ba-ba-be-boo
All the things that you desire
Gee, I'd like to see you looking swell, ba-baby
I would love to see you looking beautiful and happy, my dear
Ba-ba-ba-be-boo
Exclamation without a specific meaning, possibly indicating admiration or affection
Diamond bracelets
Expensive jewelry
Woolworth does not sell, baby
Jewelry as beautiful as you cannot be found in an ordinary store
My little ba-ba-bay-ba-doe
My little darling or my little love
Till that lucky day
Until that fortunate moment arrives
Lucky day, you know darned well
A day when all our dreams come true, you are well aware of that
Ba-be-bay, ba-ba-ba
Sound repeated for rhyming and rhythmic purposes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Urbino237
Some of the most sublime 3½ minutes of recorded music, hands down. Louis was only 27 at the time of this performance. Such elegant solos, every note the right note. I play it in my laundry room every Sunday morning when doing the week's laundry. What a relaxing start to the day.
walkercatenaccio
29 years old, I think. But sublime indeed.
Jan Kowalski
Piękna klasyka
Oni bawią się dźwiękami prawdziwe talenty😊
jovi
Gracias por subir esto que es simplemente maravilloso!
SOLO BLUES Jay Bee Rodríguez
Just unbeatable!!
Charles Barry
Vintage jazz. This was before my time.
The great Louis Armstrong.
Juan Fecit
Gracias por compartirlo.
Women Rock!
Lonnie Johnson with Louie Armstrong? Sit back and prepare for some intoxicating tunes.
Heinz Becker
@sergiofu42 infos to I can't and Mahogany are correct Louis Armstrong And His Savoy Ballroom Five March 5, 1929, New York City, New York, NY Louis Armstrong And His Savoy Ballroom Five March 5, 1929, New York City, New York, NY I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Fields, Dorothy; McHugh, Jimmy) [master W.401690-C] -- OKeh 8669 Mahogany Hall Stomp (Williams, Spencer) [master W.401691-B] -- OKeh 8680
sergiofu42
see MAHOGANY HALL STOMP L.A.& HIS SAVOY BALLROOM